The Good: Presentation is a technical achievement; cute, lovely characters

The Bad: Dragging; uneven difficulty; shallow
Built upon the lore of the cult Action-RPG Okami (PS2, Wii), Okamiden develops the original's story from the point it was left in the first title while trying to appeal to a broader audience by introducing Amaterasu's son--a cute puppy called Chibiterasu--in theThe Good: Presentation is a technical achievement; cute, lovely characters

The Bad: Dragging; uneven difficulty; shallow

Built upon the lore of the cult Action-RPG Okami (PS2, Wii), Okamiden develops the original's story from the point it was left in the first title while trying to appeal to a broader audience by introducing Amaterasu's son--a cute puppy called Chibiterasu--in the leading role for this sequel.

From a technical standpoint--which seemed to be what worried Okami fans most in a portable cramming--there's nothing to yell at. Nippon still looks gorgeous and even the sometimes oversized pixels make it for a crisp, beautiful presentation. The same can be said about the expanded soundtrack, which sounds as epic as ever.

But unfortunately when it comes to content Okamiden fails to capture the grandeur of the original installment.

The game takes you by the hand in so many ways that' it's hard not to state it was dumbed down. Predictable puzzles, prayers evolving your powers automatically, the very combat... Even the poor (or lazy?) decision of making it controlled by the D-Pad (instead of a more intuitive touch-only scheme like in the DS Zeldas) produces another step down: the camera compelling you to where you should go next.

Chibi partnering a variety of companions throughout the adventure does help to freshen the experience and show the intended protagonist's fragility, but in the long run much of the plot and dialogue is plain dragging for the sake of it. What would be an otherwise charming cast of characters can grow annoying and tiring after some time.

That aforementioned overall mood/pace twist could have made it for a perfect kids-friendly first RPG... But the overly complex boss battles create difficulty spikes that can get in the way and turn beginners down.

Okamiden would fare better if it was conceived as a spin-off, or at least as a more compact title. As a main entry with the responsibility to carry the name on it just feels expendable.…Expand

The puzzles are not even puzzles but more like quick-time events. They're unthinking "use this brush technique to get past this obstacle" tasks that make you wonder why the game is making you do this. So brush techniques become more like door keys. A new technique, magnetism, makes you think it could be used for puzzles, but this is completely unused potential. The only real dynamic usageThe puzzles are not even puzzles but more like quick-time events. They're unthinking "use this brush technique to get past this obstacle" tasks that make you wonder why the game is making you do this. So brush techniques become more like door keys. A new technique, magnetism, makes you think it could be used for puzzles, but this is completely unused potential. The only real dynamic usage of your brush techniques is in battle.

Video games should empower their players with a sense of freedom, and the lack of freedom in this game is painfully felt. You are no longer able to go in the water so large portions of Japan have become unavailable to you, although much of the game is spent waiting for your partner to do some exploring for you, excruciatingly slowly. Invisible walls block your path at every turn. You can't even jump off ledges in most spots, which has something to do with how large areas like Shinshu Field are sectioned off into smaller areas that are presumably easier for the DS to handle. Okamiden is much more linear than Okami, and the icing on the cake is that once you enter the final dungeon you cannot go back to find all the secrets with your full arsenal of brush techniques. If you've saved in the final dungeon then you're screwed and will have to play through the whole game all over again.

The story is good in the sense that the characters are likable, so I assume this is what accounts for the game's high ratings. But Okamiden is not even half the game Okami was.…Expand

The only thing this game has going for it is that Chibiterasu is heart-meltingly cute. I mean it, everything he does is just adorable, from his nubby puppy legs to his movements. Other than that, it seems Capcom did everything in their power to ruin the masterpiece that was the first Okami.

Not only is the story constantly contradicting plot elements established in the first game, it'sThe only thing this game has going for it is that Chibiterasu is heart-meltingly cute. I mean it, everything he does is just adorable, from his nubby puppy legs to his movements. Other than that, it seems Capcom did everything in their power to ruin the masterpiece that was the first Okami.

Not only is the story constantly contradicting plot elements established in the first game, it's riddled with holes and focuses on some of the most annoying characters I've ever come across in a game (yes, even more than Ashley from RE5). Lucky for you, they spend a good chunk of the game riding on your back. Fun.

The battle system is lackluster, there is no way to control the camera angle and considering how well the stylus could have worked with the brush mechanic, it falls woefully short of its full potential. To boot, there is only one new town and three new dungeons in the entire game. The collection sidequest is sloppy, as there are dozens of hidden items that, once you leave that particular dungeon, are never able to be accessed again.

The rest of the scenery and music is lifted directly from the first game. This sounds good until you realize that all of the colorful cast and side quests you had encountered in the first game are nowhere to be seen. Considering only nine months have passed, it feels like a slap in the face to learn that most of the people you expected to see were lazily explained away as simply being "gone", or in some cases, dead.

As a result, the game is painfully short and insultingly shallow, with absolutely nothing new to offer for fans of the original. I recommend skipping this one entirely.…Collapse

Okamiden reveals itself as a great game and a very welcomed sequel. May be among the last games of the extensive list of the DS, but this does not dimish its quality. Even if the combat doesn't shine as much as the rest of the package, Okamiden is a masterpiece.